Game apparatus.



L. M. KRANER.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATmN FILED sPT.15,1915.

1 168,082, Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

lig-5.1. I *LZ wf/won Z. /17 ffaf? er' WIT/VESSES v A 7TOHNEY8 LoUIs ivi. KRANER, yor CLOVRDALE, OREGN.

GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed September 15, 1915.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LOUIS M. KRANER, a citizen `of the United States, anda resident of Cloverdale, in the county of Tillamook and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Game Apparatus, of|` which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. l

The primary object of my invention is to provide a game of skill that may be played by parties of both sexes'either indoors or out, whereby to furnish amusement and moderate exercise for the body without running or stooping, thus affording wholesome recreation and pleasure.

In carrying out my invention in practice, an apparatus is provided including a table, which is depressed toward the center and presents a series of inclined planes tapering from the outer edge toward the depressed center of the table and a structure extending around the table outside thereof, constituting wickers, there being an object ball and series of striking balls together with goals for the object ball', and races disposed beneath the table top and wickers, the table top having holes for the passage of the striking balls to the races.

The invention will be more particularly explained in the specic description fol'lowine- Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification in which similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in yall vthe views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a game apparatus constructed in accordance with myy invention; and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on the line 2k2 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out my inventionin accord`- ance with the illustrated example, a table top, designated generally by the numeral 10, is provided which is supported by suitable legs 11. The table top is depressed at the center and presents a Series of triangular panels 12, there being preferably, six of such panels. The panels taper from the outer edge inwardly toward .the center', the numeral 13 indicating the dividing lines. Around the table top and outside of same, a structure designated generally by the numeral 14, is provided and constitutes what I term wickers for holding the balls with which the game is played. There varie six Specification of Letters `Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.' Serial No. 50,742.

of the wicker-s in the present example designated by the numeral 15, the table being hexagonal. The wickers are defined by raised rims or guards of which the member 16 at the inner side of each wicker, separates the saine from the adjacent panel 12 and is slightlylower than the member 17 at the outer side of the wicker. The side member 18, each separating the wickers gradually rise from the inner side 16 to the outer side 17. It is to be understood that the panels 12 and the wickers 15 may be formed of any suitable material, the panels in practice being preferably formed of thin boards while the bottoms of the wickers are formed of woven cord or wire.

In connection with the table and wickers, I employ an object balll9', shown inl Fig. 1, which will tend to gravitate to the center of the table owing to the slight inclination of the panels 12. I further employ a series of stri-king balls I20, indicated in Fig. 1, these striking balls being adapted to be projected against the 'object ball 19 by players standing outside of the respective wickers and veach supplied'with one striking ball.

A goal is provided for each panel adjacent to the wickers. I prefer toprovide the goals by means of holes designated as 21, 21a and 2lb, of a size to form'seats for the object ball 19 without permitting the ball to pass through the holes; -The goals in practice are given a particular value, as, for instance, four of the goals V(21), are given the value of 25, such goals being in panels 12 adjacent to each other, two pairs diametrically opposite. The goal 21a of an intervening panel may be given a value of 50, while the'goal (2lb) in the panel diametrically opposite the last mentioned panel will have no numerical value, but involves a penalty as hereinafter explained.

I designate the object ball as the pelto and the striking ballsfas peltors, designating the game as pelt ball. The pelto should be placed in the center of the table andthe five peltors 20, in the 1 wickers adjacent to the goals 21, 21a. Assuming there are five players, they will take 'their places adjacent to the wickers having the peltors 20; that player adjacent to the goal 21a will be known as the teaser. The object of the players adjacent to the goals 21 will be to so direct a peltor 20 against the pelto 19 as vto cause said pelto vto seat in a goal 21 or 21a. On the other hand the object of the teaser will be to so employ his peltor 20 as to interfere with the player and prevent the player from seating the pelto in a goal. rfhe conductor will stand diametrically opposite the teaser and will call on a particular player to start the game or to enter the play at the proper time, it being understood that one player will have but one ball at his disposal and one chance in each cycle to drive the pelto home. it is optional with the teaser to play at any time, or not, as he may deem it to his advantage.

Instead of five players, four persons or any multiple thereof and one teaser and one conductor may play so that partners having been chosen they are positioned at the respective wickers to play in succession. The player in a given position having been called and played, the conductor may call upon players in other positions at his pleasure until one or all players from each position has played, thus completing a cycle. After the first cycle is played if there are more than five players each leader will designate the partner he desires to follow him, unless partners have played in the first place in succession, and the conductor will proceed as in the first cycle.

In the playing of the game the conductor may require the players to shift their relative positions but they will retain their original position numbers, which in that case, will be displayed on the persons of the players. In the event the teaser drives the pelto, started from any position, into the blank goal at the conductors position, all previous scores acquired by the player or players from said position are annulled; on the other hand if he accidentally drives it into a goal having a value, the value will score for the player starting it. With the values stated, 100 will constitute a game so that no position can score more than 50 in a cycle, unless more than five persons are playing, that is, by driving the pelto to the goal 21a, so that it will require at least two cycles for the players at any position to win the game and it may require more than two cycles according to the skill of the participants and the skill and strategy of the teaser. In order to return the balls 20 from the center of the table to the outside so that they may be readily placed in the wickers, I provide races 22, radially disposed. The races 22 may be formed of any suitable material and suitably supported. As here shown, they are supported by hangers 23 and have a slight pitch toward the outer ends. The respective panels 12 adjacent to the center of the table have holes`24 therein through which the balls 20 may pass to the races; obviously also, the balls 2O may pass through the goals 21, 21a, 21b to the races. The center of the table affords space for the object ball 19 within the series of outlet holes 24.

In practice the balls may be of any suitable material. Preferably, the large ball will be made of wood or pressed cotton or wool or other suitable material that is moderately light in weight and may have a covering of leather or fabric. n practice it is slightly weighted on one side with metal or other material to make diiiicult the move ment of the ball in a direct path to a goal. Preferably the large ball or pelto, is about 12 inches in diameter. The table in practice will be about 16 feet in diameter at its points of greatest width and will be about the height of an ordinary pool table, and the wickers will have a width of 2 feet radially of the table and a length of 8 feet. rlhe live smaller balls are about half the size of the larger ball and mav be made of any suitable material that will give them somewhat greater' proportionate weight than the large ball. rlhe iive small balls may be covered with leather or the like. The size of the table and the weight of the balls, together with the dexterity required on the parts of the players and the teaser, it will be obvious will serve to give substantial mental and bodily exercise.

Having thus described my invention, l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A game apparatus including a table depressed toward the center and presenting a plurality of inclined planes, tapering from the outside to the center of the table, a marginal structure extending around the table outside of the inclined planes and made up of a series of compartments corresponding in number with the said planes and adapted to hold striking balls, there being a barrier between each compartment and the adjacent inclined plane, an object ball adapted to receive an impulse in the direction from the center of the table outwardly over any of the inclined planes, a series of striking balls adapted to be directed at the object ball by players adjacent to the respective compartments, and races beneath the table and eX- tending from near the center thereof to points beneath the compartments, each of the inclined planes having a goal adjacent to its outer end, adapted to accommodate the ob. ject ball, each panel having an outlet hole near the depressed center of the table for escape of the striking balls, there being a space for the object ball at the center of the table within the series of outlet holes.

2. A game apparatus including a table depressed toward the center and presenting a series of separate inclined planes, together with an object ball and a series of striking balls to be directed against the object ball to cause it to travel upwardly and outwardly from the center of the table,'there being goals near the outer ends of the said inclined plnes adapted to accommodatethe object ba l.

3. A game apparatus including a table top, depressed toward the center and gradually rising toward the edge, an object ball adapted to gravitate to the depressed center of the table, and a striking ball adapted to be directed by a player against the object lball to cause the latter to move upwardly and outwardly from the center of the table, there being a series of goals in the table top outward from the center, adapted to accommodate the object ball.

l. A game apparatus including a table, a structure extending around the table, and consisting of a series. of wickers, the said table having a series of goals near the edge thereof, there being barriers between the wickers and goals, an object ball adapted to be positioned on the table within the goals and striking balls adapted to be directed at the object ball.

5. A game apparatus including a table having a series of goals near the edge thereof, an object ball adapted to be positioned on the table within the series of goals, strilr ing balls adapted to be directed against the object ball to cause the same to travel toward the goals, and races beneath the table and leading outwardly from points adjacent to the center, there being outlet holes in the table, inward from the goals through which the striking balls may escape to said races.

6. A game apparatus including a table, a structure outside the table and forming a series of wickers, disposed side by side around the table, an object ball adapted to receive an impulse from the center of the table outward, said table having a series of goals adjacent to the wickers, adapted to accommodate the object ball, and striking balls adalpted to be directed against the object bal y 7. A game apparatus including a table presenting a series of inclined planes, converging toward the depressed center of the table, there being a space at the center to accommodate the object ball, there being a series of outlet holes around said space leading downwardly through the table, the said holes being smaller than the object ball, the table having goals near the edge thereof, adapted to accommodate the object ball, a series of striking balls smaller than the object ball, and adapted to pass throughv said holes, and races beneath the table and adapted to receive balls escaping through said holes, said races leading in outward directions.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS M. KRANER.

Witnesses:

W. G. DWIGHT,- E. L. MCCABE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for :five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

